1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to the field of transport apparatus. More particularly, the present invention relates to portable apparatus used to lift and transport toilets in a safe, convenient, and efficient manner, with special emphasis placed on ease of movement and lack of damage to the toilet and the underlying floor. The invention also provides a removably attached storage portion of the invention which allows a user to store one toilet as he/she transports another.
2. Description of the Related Art
Removing and installing a toilet can be a difficult and laborious task because of the heavy lifting involved. In many instances, toilet removal and installation requires two persons to complete because of the weight and large, cumbersome shape of the toilet, which can result in decreased productivity, increased installation cost, and potential damage to the toilet and the underlying floors of both the bathroom where the toilet is located and the floor over which the toilet is left while work is done in the bathroom. If one or more people have to physically carry the toilet with their arms, there is an increased chance of damage to the toilet and injury to the workers carrying the toilet. If only one person is present however, the toilet may have to be disassembled into its different components, with each component then being transported to the installation location for reassembly. While this helps to avoid weight and shape issues, it increases the time and effort needed to complete the installation process and further increases the chance that water will be spilled on the underlying floor.
Although several apparatus for transporting heavy objects are well known in the art, few are well-suited to transport irregularly shaped objects such as toilets, particularly considering the advantages that a transport device that can lift and transport a toilet, maintaining it in a level configuration, such that any water in the toilet does not splash up over the sides, can provide. As such, the use of these traditional transport apparatus, such as a standard dolly, can often lead to the toilet falling off and being damaged or the floor being damaged by the falling toilet. In addition, the person operating the transport apparatus can be injured by the falling toilet, and a toilet being transported with a jerky motion, or being transported with the toilet tank and bowl in a non-level configuration whereupon the danger of water splashing over the sides of the toilet at best inconveniences the workers installing the toilet and at worst damages the underlying floor. Several inventions have attempted to eliminate the above difficulties by designing an apparatus solely for transporting toilets. Although these inventions have been successful to help alleviate some difficulties, the inventions have also been deficient in certain respects.
For example, some prior inventions, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,716,183 to Gibson, et. al, and 6,135,466 to Irwin, have required a user to secure the toilet to cross-members located on the transport device and then tilt the transport device at an angle towards the user so that the device can be rolled to a different location. These devices, while easy to use, still present the risk of the toilet falling off the transport device and being damaged. Also, because of the angular positioning of the device during transport, there is an increased risk that the toilet and device may fall onto the user during transport, causing substantial injury and that water may splash out of the toilet bowl or storage tank. The fact that using these “toilet dollies” requires the user to tilt the toilet back before moving it also creates other problems, such as increasing the chance that water may splash out of the tank or toilet bowl during transportation and making it harder to align the holes in the base portion of the toilet with the receptacle screws embedded in the floor. A further disadvantage of the toilet dollies is that they require a greater working space to swing around corners while transporting the toilets, as opposed to the current invention which, because of its design, can maneuver a toilet in relatively tight quarters. Other prior inventions attempting to eliminate difficulties in toilet transport are often bulky, cumbersome, and contain many components making them difficult and complicated to use by professionals and lay persons alike. U.S. Pat. No. 6,752,379 to Wall and U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,511 to Chitwood are examples of inventions which provide a mechanism by which toilets can be lifted, but do so in extremely complex and time-consuming manners.
Therefore, there is a current need for a portable toilet apparatus that is easy to use, does not involve heavy lifting by the user, and allows for the secure transport of a toilet while minimizing the risks of damage to the toilet and injury to the user. In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. In addition, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.